Food & Drink

Orkney’s renowned for fine food and drink, and the Festival’s an ideal time to enjoy it. You can join us at lunchtime, and indeed you can make your own Orkney lunch as well – we have full guidance in a special leaflet which you can download here.

And to join the lunchtime discussion around a table, you just need to book a space online with this form. This will give you a link to a seat at an online table where you can chat with other Festival-goers. Once there, you can move tables from time to time if you’d like to mix further.

There’s another opportunity for discussion in the evenings at the Festival Club. Here again you just need to book a space, using this form.

The concert at Skaill House is followed by an Orkney afternoon rea. Here again there is an opportunity to make your own Orkney meal and there is full guidance in a special leaflet which you can download here. You can sit back with a cup of tea and a slice of bread with roast Orkney beef and rhubarb and orange chutney, and beremeal scones to follow, and enjoy music from the era when Skaill House was built.

PEEDIE KIRK LUNCH

September 9, 2020 → 1:00 pm ─ 1:45 pm

Plan your own Orkney lunch in advance from our downloadable recipe brochure, with links to Orkney suppliers. Then at 1 o’clock tune in to the Science Festival YouTube channel to hear from St Andrews University researcher Dr James Grecian about changing patterns of marine mammal migration. Tristan Cameron-Harper will give news from his journey north, and Eric Walker will tell us where to find Clusters and Clouds in the night sky. They’ll round off at 1.15 pm and join us for lunch around one of our online tables.

THE BOTANY OF BEER

September 8, 2020 → 9:15 pm ─ 10:00 pm

In the days before hops, flavour was balanced in beer by foraged plants like angelica and meadowsweet, and by spices brought from the East on new sailing routes. Master brewer Ken Duncan tells the story.

PEEDIE KIRK LUNCH

September 7, 2020 → 1:00 pm ─ 1:45 pm

Plan your own Orkney lunch in advance from our downloadable recipe brochure, with links to Orkney suppliers. Then at 1 o’clock tune in to the Science Festival YouTube channel to hear St Andrews University researcher Dr Saana Isojunno describe her analysis of orca sightings from observers across Orkney and Shetland. Chef Sam Britten will highlight Orkney foraged plants for a midday menu. Eric Walker speaks about “The Wanderers” in the night sky. They’ll round off at 1.15 pm and join us for lunch around one of our online tables.

PEEDIE KIRK LUNCH

September 6, 2020 → 1:00 pm ─ 1:45 pm

Plan your own Orkney lunch in advance from our downloadable recipe brochure, with links to Orkney suppliers. Then at 1 o’clock tune in to the Science Festival YouTube channel to hear a One O’Clock Toast to two notable Orcadians of recent years – Albert Spence, vet and community renewables pioneer, and Sheila Spence, local heritage and natural history recorder. The Toast will be given by Prof. Tom Stevenson, and followed by music from Magnus Spence and friends from the Harray Traditional Music Group. We’ll also hear from Tristan Cameron-Harper on his journey north, and Eric Walker looks on the bright side about the night sky. They’ll round off at 1.20 pm and join us for lunch around one of our online tables.

PEEDIE KIRK LUNCH

September 5, 2020 → 1:00 pm ─ 1:45 pm

Plan your own Orkney lunch in advance from our downloadable recipe brochure, with links to Orkney suppliers. Then at 1 o’clock tune in to the Science Festival YouTube channel to hear St Andrews University researcher Dr Monica Arso-Civil describe her studies of Orkney’s harbour seal population. Chef Paul Doull from the Foveran shows how to cook scallops with some foraged ingredients, including seaweed and chickweed, and Eric Walker tells how to find the Triangle and the Plough in the night sky. They’ll round off at 1.15 pm and join us for discussion around one of our online tables.

PEEDIE KIRK LUNCH

September 4, 2020 → 1:00 pm ─ 1:45 pm

Plan your own Orkney lunch in advance from our downloadable recipe brochure, with links to Orkney suppliers. Then at 1 o’clock tune in to the Science Festival YouTube channel to hear from Tristan Cameron-Harper on his journey north. We’ll have a foraged food recipe from Wendy Barrie, and Eric Walker tells how to find Selene’s Chariot in the night sky. They’ll round off at 1.15 pm and join us for lunch around one of our online tables.